Tuesday 01/14/14

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (DTN) -- Delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention voted Tuesday to drop the word "amnesty" from their resolution language on immigration reform, while rejecting resolutions to change positions on raw milk sales and country-of-origin labeling.

The voting Farm Bureau members also supported a resolution to make participation in government surveys voluntary and backed a recommendation to the Farm Bureau board of directors to encourage elected representatives to eliminate the Affordable Care Act.

On immigration reform, delegates struck language from their policy book opposing "amnesty programs." The group instead added language citing that "U.S. immigration policy must recognize that agriculture relies on immigrant labor as the jobs are arduous, often seasonal and migratory."

Farm Bureau members said the country must confront the problem of illegal immigration. The policy reflected some of the work done by AFBF President Bob Stallman, who is chairing an agricultural workforce group in Washington pushing Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Within Farm Bureau's resolution, the group supports a federal mandate on employers to use E-Verify as long as an acceptable agricultural worker program is in place.

In dropping the word "amnesty" from its books, Georgia member Skeeter McCorkle, a green nursery operator, said the word is "ambiguous, controversial and inflammatory."

COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELS

Iowa Farm Bureau members failed in an attempt to tweak AFBF language to say country-of-origin labeling should not be mandatory for pork or beef. Iowa members argued that historically such country-of-origin labels were defined as a preponderance of where the value added occurred, not where an animal was born.

"COOL has become a serious and mandatory burden on pork and beef producers," said Paul Gieselman of Iowa.

Randy Knight, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau, objected by citing consumer demands to know more about the food. "We owe it to the consumer for them to be able to make a choice when they go to the produce case or meat case," he said.

USDA just implemented a new COOL rule that already is being challenged by Canada and Mexico. Farm Bureau ended up keeping its language to strive for a COOL system that complies with the World Trade Organization rules.

California Farm Bureau VP Kenny Watkins said of the issue, "We need to make a WTO-compliant COOL that is still mandatory." He also noted growing consumer interest in the origin of food in the retail case. "Yet we can't even tell them it came from our country or another country."

STICK WITH PASTEURIZED MILK

One of the longer debates of the day centered on sales of raw milk. Proponents sought to change language on pasteurized milk to support "states' authority to regulate fluid raw milk sales."

Pro-raw milk groups cite at least 33 states have laws that allow the sale of raw milk either at the retail or farm levels. Another 17 states have specific laws banning the sale of raw milk for human consumption.

"Raw milk sales are going to go on regardless of whether we have a policy saying we don't want it to happen," said Brent Pollard of Illinois.

Yet, Farm Bureau delegates voted nearly 2 to 1 to stick with its position supporting only the sale of pasteurized milk and milk products.

"Food safety is a big issue around this country," said Zippy Duvall, president of the Georgia Farm Bureau. He added foodborne illnesses have consequences on industry. "One disaster will completely destroy a great industry."

David Winkles, president of the South Carolina Farm Bureau, noted he and Stallman grappled with the issue last year and he was flooded with emails about the topic.

"This is a very passionate subject, one where the lines are drawn very clearly," Winkles said.

SURVEY SCHMURVEY

Given concerns about "big data" collection and the constant push of government surveys, delegates also voted to support voluntary participation in all government surveys, including the USDA Agricultural Census.

"Our membership is getting bombarded by surveys, particularly at certain times of the year ... We wonder how valid this information is going forward," said Richard Guebert, president of the Illinois Farm Bureau.

The resolution passed despite concerns that the lack of such information could hurt funding and program efforts at state and federal levels.

"When it comes to the government programs both at the state level and federal level, our legislators are using this information to determine budget items," said Dean Norton, president of the New York Farm Bureau.

OTHER ITEMS DECIDED

Biotechnology: Following the battles with China over unapproved seed varieties, delegates stated that "Extra efforts should be made to make farmers aware of markets where the products are not accepted by using such methods as color markings on bags, boxes or bulk delivery systems and/or seed tag."

Drones: Farm Bureau introduced new policy supporting the use of unmanned aircraft systems for commercial purposes, including agriculture and forestry. The group opposes federal agencies using UASs for regulatory enforcement, litigation issues or as the sole source for government inventory surveys. Farm Bureau also opposes allowing UASs to be used for surveying or collecting data on private land without the consent of the landowner.

Obamacare: Not only did delegates vote to encourage the elimination of the Affordable Care Act, but they voted overwhelmingly to keep the language in their statement, "commonly referred to as "Obamacare."

Farm Bureau stabs membership in the back, goes Politically Correct?!?
First we could no longer call them wet backs, then we were scolded for calling them illegal aliens, and now "amnesty" is the verboten word? "Inflammatory"? Seriously? Nothing will suffice until we shut our mouths and pretend we don't notice the deleterious effect this temporary labor force has on taxpaying rural America the six to nine months of the year ag producers don't need their services.
This reminds me of standing by, watching as farm organizations ate the crap sandwich fed to us by Environmental Working Group, eventually adopting THEIR buzzwords and themes of conservation above livelihood and sustainability above life itself. Now EPA mischievously releases names of CAFO farmers and ranchers, claiming it was a mistake, until they did it a second and third time. Now they don't even bother apologizing as they most recently released the names and personal info on CAFO employees. How convenient for PETA et al to troll for disgruntled people to solicit for PR nightmares ad infinitum.
This turncoat move by AFB against the wishes of the membership by the top echelons of Farm Bureau will cost them dearly. If Rubio's fall from popularity didn't awaken him to the dangers of supporting Comp Immigration Reform he is tone deaf. Stallman may be getting invited to all the right DC parties now, but selling out rural America will eventually come back to bite the organization.

Fri Jul 31, 2015 04:17 PM CDTPresident Barack Obama signed off on the temporary bill Friday, but indicated his frustration with Congress over the inability to approve a long-term highway bill. He noted that the lack of a long-term bill makes it hard for governors and mayors to set priorities for roads, bridges, airports and ports.

Thu Jul 30, 2015 10:00 AM CDTA number of agriculture interest groups are among 269 organizations that asked President Barack Obama Wednesday to stop the release of more stringent national ambient air quality standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, set for release sometime this year.

Mon Jul 27, 2015 11:35 AM CDTThe White House announced Monday it was launching an initiative highlighting the "American Business Act on Climate Pledge. The effort spotlighted 13 large American companies pushing for action on climate change. The announcement had some emphasis on agriculture, food processing and continued opportunities for landowners to make money through renewable energy, particularly expanded wind production.

Thu Jul 23, 2015 01:44 PM CDTUSDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service is launching a conservation survey of farmers and ranchers to get an idea of what kinds of practices farmers are implementing, according to a news release from USDA.

Wed Jul 22, 2015 02:50 PM CDTEnvironmentalists and others who contend the only way to reduce nutrients runoff into the Gulf of Mexico is through regulation, may not be happy with the release of the final Illinois nutrient loss reduction strategy Tuesday that is a virtual copy of the Iowa strategy hammered on by critics as 'too soft.'

Mon Jul 20, 2015 01:17 PM CDTFor a third-consecutive year a cover crops survey of 1,200 farmers across the country continue to see bumps in corn and soybean yields following the use of cover crops. In addition, the Conservation Technology Information Center Cover Crop Survey recorded an increase in the number of cover crop acres planted nationwide.

Fri Jul 17, 2015 03:08 PM CDTThe Senate Finance Committee on Friday rolled out a package of business tax breaks that the committee will take up on Tuesday. The plan deals with about 50 individual and business taxes that would translate into about $95.6 billion in overall tax breaks for people and companies.

Wed Jul 15, 2015 12:27 PM CDTIn the debate over agricultural market access in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the European agricultural group Copa-Cogeca has spelled out some conditions its leaders believe need to be met to make the European trade deal a benefit for both sides of the Atlantic.

Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:30 AM CDTI got an email over the weekend from my congressman, an enthusiastic freshman, who is boasting that Congress, as a government agency, has cut its own budget. Other government agencies should do the same.

Thu Jul 9, 2015 01:30 PM CDTA bill that would make significant cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget was grounded Thursday, after Republican members objected to an amendment passed by voice vote Tuesday night to ban the Confederate flag at national cemeteries, according to The Hill.

Tue Jul 7, 2015 11:33 AM CDTThe American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter Monday to every member of the House of Representatives asking lawmakers to "reject any proposals that amend, repeal, defund or otherwise modify or interfere with the Renewable Fuels Standard."

Wed Jul 1, 2015 02:42 PM CDTThe U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba praised the announcement Wednesday by President Barack Obama that the U.S. and Cuba will officially re-establish diplomatic relations on July 20 with the re-opening of respective embassies.

Mon Jun 29, 2015 05:06 PM CDTIt would generally be considered a pretty rare occurrence that the National Cattlemen's Beef Association finds itself in agreement with the group Food & Water Watch. But the two disparate groups nonetheless find themselves equally appalled at USDA for allowing imported beef from northern Argentina and 14 states Brazil known for FMD outbreaks.

Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:59 AM CDTLeaders from the group AGree this week called on Congress to take a top-to-bottom review of agricultural research in the country. AGree's leaders issued a paper breaking down issues surrounding research and development in agriculture and food production. The group AGree was formed to seek consensus among different stakeholders on policy areas important to agriculture.

Wed Jun 24, 2015 02:24 PM CDTSenate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and his committee's ranking member, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, head into a hearing Thursday clearly divided on the issue of country-of-origin labeling for meat. Roberts is pushing for full repeal of the labels while Stabenow is pitching a voluntary approach to the problem.

Tue Jun 16, 2015 08:44 AM CDTAhead of a scheduled June 25 public hearing in Kansas City, Kansas, on the Renewable Fuel Standard Iowa's Congressional delegation is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to host a public hearing in Iowa.

Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:51 PM CDTThe House Energy and Commerce Committee will weigh in on the debate over biotech labeling laws next week with a hearing over legislation by Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas.

Wed Jun 10, 2015 09:33 PM CDTThe House voted 300 to 131 to repeal country of origin labels for meat. While the bill now goes to the Senate, the House vote represents a victory for Canadian and Mexican livestock producers.